| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Genre | a type of literary work grouped according to form, technique, or subject |
| Prose | written in paragraph form (everything but poetry) |
| Nonfiction | prose or poetry written about real people, places, and events |
| Biography, autobiography and memoir | follow the lives of real people. Autobiography is about one's whole life; memoir is only a part or a facet of it |
| Fiction | drawn from the imagination of the writer rather than from history or fact |
| Allegory | has both a literal meaning and a deeper, symbolic meaning. Think of it as a story within a story where objects, characters, and actions have meanings that lie outside of the story itself. Fables and parables are a type of allegory. |
| Parable | A simple story told to express a deeper moral, ethical, or religious lesson. |
| Short Story | A fairly brief fictional narrative in prose; the precursor to the novel |
| Novella/Novelette | A work of fictional prose with sentences of medium length, longer than a short story and shorter than a novel |
| Novel | A book-length, fictional prose (sentences) narrative, typically having a plot that unfolds through the actions, speech, and thoughts of a character |
| Epic | a long narrative poem in elevated style presenting characters of high position in adventures, typically one derived from an ancient, oral tradition that narrates the actions of a heroic or legendary figure |
| Point of View | narrator's perspective |
| First Person | Narrator is a part of the story, usually the protagonist; reader only knows his/her thoughts/opinions: Uses "I" |
| Third Person Omniscient Point of View | seemingly ALL KNOWING narrator tells the story and shares ALL of the important characters' thoughts/opinions but is not a character within the story. Universal omniscient narrators can tell the reader things that characters don't even know |
| Third Person Limited Omniscient Point of View | narrator shares thoughts/opinions of ONE character, telling the story from the viewpoint of that character in the story using the third person, telling us what this character sees and hears, and what he thinks and feels; he possibly interprets the character's thoughts and behavior. He shows no knowledge of what other characters are thinking or feeling or doing--except for what his chosen character can infer |
| Third Person Objective Point of View | The narrator is not a part of the story, does not enter a single mind, and only records what can be seen and heard. This type of person is like a camera or a fly on the wall. This is used by journalists in articles--it only gives the facts, from one fixed perspective. This third person objective perspective mimics real life: we cannot know what another person is thinking, but we can make inferences based on that person's words, behavior and body language |
| Exposition | The exposition is the first element on the plot diagram. It consists of all the "background" information the reader needs to know in order to understand the story: setting, time period, characters, conflicts, mood, etc. |
| Initial Incident | The initial incident is what sets the story into action. It is the first "incident" or moment that changes the course of the story. It will be something that happens that the protagonist does or something he/she experiences that stops the exposition and starts the rising action |
| Rising Action | Rising Action is just that- all the action that leads up to the climax. It is the "suspense" the obstacles, complications, and conflicts that make us wonder what will happen next |
| Climax | Is the most exciting or most intense/turning point of the short story. The character must make a decision that will alter the outcome and cannot be taken back. Therefore, we call it the "point of no return" |
| Falling Action/Denouement | Falling action is the "let down" after the climax. All the loose ends are beginning to be tied up in preparation of the conclusion of the story |
| Resolution | The denouement is the end of the story the "wrap up"- it can be a literal end (where the reader knows exactly what happened) or it can be an "open ended" resolution - where we can infer the ending |
| Linear Plot | a plot that flow in sequential order |
| Nonlinear Plot | a plot that may deviate from sequential order. Nonlinear plots may have jumps in time, flashbacks, and separate viewpoints between characters, etc. |
| Protagonist | The protagonist is no longer "the good guy"; not all protagonists are good. From now on, know the protagonist as the central (main) character around which the story revolves |
| Antagonist | The antagonist is not always the "bad guy" either; in fact, the antagonist may actually be good. The antagonist may not even be human. Know that it is a force or person in opposition with the protagonist |
| Direct Characterization | The author or narrator makes direct statements about a character's traits from the third person point of view. |
| Indirect Characterization | The author or speaker reveals a character's personality through the character's own words, thoughts, and actions or through the words, thoughts, and actions of other characters. |
| Flat Character | is used only to provide a function and further the plt. The reader only knows one or two personality traits of the character--does not grow or change during the story. |
| Round Character | the character reveals several personality traits, three-dimensional like a real person and may grow and change during the story. |
| Static Character | stays the same (emotionally) from the beginning to the end of the story. |
| Dynamic Character | changes/grows (emotionally) over the course of the story. |
| Foil | A character who provides a strong contrast to another character. A foil may emphasize another character's traits or make a character look better or worse in comparison. |
| Internal Conflict | Man vs. himself - it is when the character has a conflict within himself (usually deciding what to do or not to do) - an inner struggle |
| External Conflict | Man vs. man/ Man vs. society or technology/Man vs. environment (God/fate/nature/) |
| Elements of Style | The manner of expression of a particular writer, produced by choice of words, grammatical structures, use of literary devices, and all the possible parts of language use. |
| Diction | The author's choice of words |
| Syntax | grammatical sentence structure which controls meaning and pacing-----word order |
| Theme | a central insights into life and human nature-- it is a message that ALL readers are supposed to take away from the story. A theme is not one word but a complete thought. Therefore, "love", is not a theme, but "love conquers all " is. |
| Tone | The attitude the author gives the reader through his word usage; the distinctive personality and emotion his narration creates for the audience. |
| Mood | The feeling created in the reader through the author's tone--how the narrator makes you "feel" |
| Denotation | The literal definition of the word; dictionary definition |
| Connotation | The emotional meaning of the word not defined by the dictionary |
| Imagery | Writing that addresses one or more of the five senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing; creates a picture in the reader's mind. |
| Analogy | A comparison between two things that are alike in some particular way. Authors often use an analogy to explain an abstract or complex concept by comparing it to a more familiar one. |
| Antonym | A word meaning the opposite of another |
| Synonym | A word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word. |
| Foreshadowing | Hints or clues to future events |
| Idioms | an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the literal meaning of the words, as kick the bucket or my computer has a virus |
| Flashback | Going back in time to present moments or incidents that influence our understanding of the story or character. |
| Irony | the recognition of a reality different from appearance |
| Dramatic Irony | When the reader is given knowledge of something that another character or characters do not know. |
| Situational Irony | When the situation/events or the opposite of what might be reasonably be expected. |
| Verbal Irony | narrator or speaker's intention is the opposite of what is expressed--saying one thing and meaning another to be funny, sarcastic, or mocking. |
| Apostrophe | Talking to something or someone that cannot talk back as if it could ( a dead person, an emotion, the wall, an object, etc). |
| Allusion | A reference to a famous character, place, historical event, music, art, other literary works; or a biblical reference. |
| Hyperbole | An extreme exaggeration |
| Metaphor | A direct or indirect comparison of two items (without using key words) |
| Motif | Recurring images, words, objects, phrases, events, or actions used to emphasize important themes and ideas that tend to unify the work. |
| Simile | A simile is a direct comparison of two similar things using the key words "like" , "as", or "seem." |
| Symbol | Something that stands for or represents something else |
| Oxymoron | A combination of contradictory words that come together to make a new meaning: bittersweet, pretty ugly. |
| Personification | Giving human qualities or characteristics to non human things or animal qualities to inanimate objects. |
| Paradox | A statement that may seem contradictory or absurd but is probably. Example: He felt alone in the crowd. |
| Pun | A humorous play on two or more meanings of the same word or on two different words with the same sound. |
| Narrative Poem | Tells a story; contains elements of the plot diagram |
| Lyric Poem | Expresses personal thoughts and feelings, usually short and musical |
| Dramatic Poem | Uses elements of drama (one or more characters speak; usually a tense situation or conflict). |
| Epic Poem | A long narrative poem in an elevated style presenting characters of high position in adventures relating to the actions of the central heroic character who has a goal and is typically embarked on a long and difficult journey. |
| Alliteration | Repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| Assonance | Repetion of vowel sounds within words (molten golden notes) |
| Consonance | The repetition of consonant sounds before or after different vowel sounds (like a pair of thick socks) |
| Onomatopoeia | The word imitates or suggests the sound it describes (Bang! Splash!) |
| Rhyme | The end scheme (pattern) in a poem. (ex: abab cdcd efef gg) |
| Rhythm | Unstressed vs. stressed syllables (the beat or meter) |
Combine with other sets
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